SMIC (advanced-node scope)

Shanghai, China

Company Overview

Headquarters: Shanghai, China
Ownership: Public (HKEX: 0981 / SSE: 688981); state-linked strategic shareholders
Leading-Edge Fab Locations: Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen fabs. Acquisition of Semiconductor Manufacturing North China (SMNC, Beijing, two 300mm lines) completed June 2026 — SMIC issued ~547M shares (~US$6B) for the remaining 49%, giving 100% ownership
Wafer Size: 300mm
Most Recent Revenue: Q4 2025 foundry revenue $2.5B, up from $1.5B Q4 2022 (+71% over that period); global foundry market share 5.1-5.32%
Employees: ~25,941 (2025), ~95% China-based
Major Segments: Domestic Chinese smartphone/AI (Huawei), industrial
Long-Term Strategy: Capacity for its most advanced nodes (N+1/N+2/N+3, ~7nm-equivalent via DUV multi-patterning) is reported to be rationed by Beijing to prioritize Huawei; no EUV access under current export controls caps further density scaling; growing via the SMNC acquisition

No named process technologies recorded for this foundry yet.

Absence here means the process list has not been researched, not that the foundry offers none.

Most Advanced Node in HVM (mid-2026): N+1/N+2 (~7nm-class via DUV multi-patterning) — unofficial naming, not TSMC/Samsung/Intel-comparable. 5nm reportedly in development (~20% yield), not in mass production as of mid-2026
Node Range Offered (≤22nm): 14nm FinFET → N+1 → N+2 → N+3
Transistor Architecture: FinFET (no GAA disclosed)
Backside Power Delivery: No
In-House Advanced Packaging: Limited — routed through domestic OSAT (JCET and others)
HBM Integration Support: Limited/unconfirmed
Automotive/Defense-Qualified Advanced Node: Limited
Reported Yield (Most Advanced Node): Not publicly disclosed for advanced nodes
Reported Density (Most Advanced Node): Capped well below EUV-node peers by DUV multi-patterning limits
Next-Node Roadmap: Constrained by lack of EUV access under export controls; no credible public roadmap below N+3 at present

Qualified Leading-Edge Fabs: Multiple (Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen) + SMNC (Beijing, acquiring)
Multi-Site Technology Transfer: Yes, internally, within China
Automotive/Defense Production: Limited — primarily domestic Chinese consumer/AI (Huawei), not automotive/defense in the Western regulatory sense
IATF 16949: Verify
Other Certifications: Verify
Export Restriction Status: On US BIS Entity List; EUV lithography export banned (Netherlands/US-aligned enforcement); advanced DUV scanners license-required; capacity reported rationed by Beijing toward Huawei

Backlog / Lead Time: Capacity for the most advanced nodes reported rationed by Beijing to prioritize Huawei — a political allocation constraint, not a pure market lead-time signal
Utilization & Yield Maturity: High utilization where prioritized; overall advanced-node yield not publicly disclosed
Expansion Plans: Acquiring Semiconductor Manufacturing North China (SMNC, Beijing) for two additional 300mm lines
Geographic Redundancy: Limited — concentrated in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen)
Single-Site Concentration Risk: High — single-jurisdiction concentration compounded by export-controlled tool access limiting expansion pace
Natural Disaster Exposure: Low-moderate seismic risk in most China fab locations

Fab Site	Country	US Import Tariff	Considerations	Risk
Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen + SMNC (Beijing, acquisition completed June 2026)	China	Not recorded	On US BIS Entity List; EUV export banned outright (Netherlands/US-aligned enforcement); advanced DUV scanners require individual licenses; capacity reported rationed by Beijing toward Huawei	Severe

Approx. 300mm Wafer Price (Most Advanced Node): Not detailed for advanced nodes in current source set — SMIC's disclosed pricing advantage (20-40% below Taiwanese peers) is documented for mature nodes, not confirmed for N+2/N+3
Approx. Mask Set Cost (Most Advanced Node): Not detailed for advanced nodes in current source set
Approx. Full Tapeout Cost (Design + Mask + NRE): Not detailed for advanced nodes in current source set
MPW / Small-Program Access: Effectively none for non-Chinese customers — capacity is reported rationed toward Huawei by Beijing
Pricing Position: Domestic-strategic rather than globally commercial at this tier — pricing is not the primary lever; allocation/access is
Packaging Cost Add-On (CoWoS/HBM-Class): Limited — routed through domestic OSAT partners (JCET and others), not independently benchmarked

Cadence: Yes, where export-control compliant
Synopsys: Yes, where export-control compliant
Siemens EDA (Calibre): Yes, where export-control compliant
Own Ecosystem Program: Primarily domestic Chinese design-service ecosystem
IP Vendor Relationships: Primarily domestic Chinese IP vendors; access to top-tier Western IP is compliance-gated
Advanced Packaging Partners: Primarily domestic Chinese OSAT (JCET and others)
Notable Ecosystem Note: The 2025 BIS EDA export-control episode (Synopsys/Cadence/Siemens directed to halt China sales, then partially reversed) is a direct, ongoing risk to this company's design-tool access